Sisterly Bonding at the Hester Street Fair

My sister Isabel is one of the most fashionable and creative people I know.  In all seriousness, it's almost as if all of the talent genes skipped me and went straight to her.  During my extended layover to New York City last weekend, I got to stay with her at her recently moved-in and slowly-to-be-furnished apartment in the Lower East Side.  Given the short time that I was in New York for this week (much of it spend nursing my sore legs and avoiding the heat), we walked from the southern edge of East Village to Hester Street, a small street comprised of basketball/volleyball courts and random supply shops.  

That's the thing that I love about Manhattan.  No two neighborhoods are ever the same.  Lower East Side gets a bad rap for being a little grittier by night, with its clubs and bars.  In all honesty, I still can't say it's my favorite.  What I will say, however, is that our walk through the Lower East Side to Hester St. did provide a nice change of pace.  Not to mention, its host to the ever-wonderful Hester Street Fair, which breathed of ethnic fusion foods (Chinese/Indian, Japanese/Kosher, the list continues...).

On me:  Madewell Long Tank Dress, J. Crew Factory Bubble Necklace, Kate Spade Gayla Wayfarers
On her:  Yumi Kim Jayne Dress, Rayban Wayfarers, Tory Burch Reva flats

It's a small weekly event on a small stretch of concrete next to the basketball courts, nearly missable if it weren't for the giant sign at the front of the park.  Filled with handicraft jewelers, vintage clothiers and delicious treats, the fair makes for a quick but colorful Saturday stop.  Not to mention, it made for some fabulous people watching.  There is seriously nothing that delights me more than watching a bunch of New York City hipsters doing their mostly stereotypical thing (looking for outfits I could never dream of accomplishing and eating random foods, like Kosher/Japanese... really?).

Makin' Music: Asherel & The Kingston Springs

Clearly, Salvador and I had a productive weekend, because I feel like it's going to take me 3 separate blog posts to encapsulate everything of interest that has occurred.  Salvador, also goes by the title "forced-photographer", is in New York visiting before he's off to the big, scary world that is adulthood.  Since writing 3 posts in one night isn't incredibly appealing to me as I have a real job to do in the morning, I figured I'd go from most recent and work my way backwards.  Apologies to you, dear reader, you're going to have to put up with me blogging back in time for the next week.

Tonight dressed in my best at-work-til-8:30-today attire of a black J. Crew pencil skirt and a silk rayon tangerine top, I met up with Salvador, who was having an absolute ball of a day without me, at a friend's New York City concert debut.  While I like to pretend I hang out with rock stars all day, it was one of Salvador's fraternity brothers from Georgia Tech playing with his band Asherel (who just got signed last year with Columbia Records) at Piano's in the Lower East Side.  

Asherel

Walking in, Sal and I looked like part of a "one of these things is not like the other" game.  Luckily, we ran into another friend Charles who helped minimize how completely yuppie we looked.  Clearly, Piano's (a great venue for cheap, great rock and indie folk bands) attracted crowds of a "hipper" variety, and less so of the finance consultant variety.  In any case, the bands playing highlight one of the things that I love most about New York -- loud, amazing rock music at low, low prices ($8 tickets to see 4 bands?  Yes please!).  Rushing over from my office in Brooklyn, I made it for the last two songs of their set and they KILLED it.  If the Foo Fighters and Bob Dylan had a baby, that would be Asherel.  According to Graham, one of the guitarists, the band will be releasing their debut album later this year.

The Kingston Springs

Despite heckling me for the secret hipster that I am, Salvador was kind enough to let me stay a little longer and catch the next act, the Nashville-based band The Kingston Springs, who had a very Alabama Shakes vibe about them.  You could clearly tell by the dress and the music, these guys were from the South, but their sound was an mixture of old school folk mixed in with some blue grass and indie rock.  Eclectic is a good word for them.  Unfortunately, we got pretty hungry, so we missed out on the very last band, The Weeks.  All three of the bands are probably going to make it into my work-music rotation some time this week.  Check them out, and let me know what you think.

Also, if you're into loud, crazy amazing indie rock music and are in the Lower East Side, check out Piano's   and its next door neighbor, the Living Room.  It'll make for an interesting weeknight.